“NRC’s departure from Luhansk is a consequence of a letter received on 18 September from the authorities in the opposition controlled area of Luhansk oblast, in which NRC`s request for registration had been rejected”, Christopher Mehley, NRC´s Country Director in Ukraine, explains.
No official reason was provided by the authorities for this refusal to authorise NRC’s activities. Nine other international NGOs were also required to cease humanitarian activities.
“NRC is deeply concerned about the situation for the civilian population in eastern Ukraine. The needs of the people are immense and are of serious concern with the approaching winter”, Christopher Mehley says.
As a consequence, NRC will not provide assistance to over 20,000 vulnerable civilians in front-line communities of Luhansk oblast, which had been planned for 2015. Such assistance would have included emergency shelter and winterisation materials, including fuel supplies, and critical non-food items, such as winter clothing and personal hygiene items. Projects to improve water supply and sanitation were also planned activities that now have to be cancelled. However, prior to its departure, NRC managed to provide 200 households with emergency materials needed for house reconstruction and another 160 households with essential non-food items (NFIs).
“NRC hopes that the decision of the authorities in the opposition controlled area of Luhansk will be reviewed and all humanitarian actors will be allowed to resume their work as soon as possible. NRC is ready to immediately restart its operations should it receive authorization”, Christopher Mehley says.
An estimated 3 million people living in non-government controlled areas have been affected by the almost total suspension of international humanitarian assistance since mid-July 2015. NRC´s Country Director in Ukraine is concerned about the long-term consequences; «The lack of humanitarian access will place the most vulnerable part of the civilian population at extremely great risk.»
